feed me

Stress is, quite unfortunately, a uniting aspect of the academic part of any college experience... and my host-sister and I have definitely bonded this week because of it! My upcoming spring break (Dublin, Budapest, Florence) paired with a couple of good meals are the only things keeping me afloat right now. In addition to the occasional conversation with the boy; he's the best :).

Breakfast Wednesday morning was nothing short of magnificent :). The bread you see there was baked by the neighbors. A thick and soft country loaf, it only got better with a spread of cheese and apricot jam. As for the chocolate and cookies, I saved that for a little after lunch dessert (don't understand why my host-mom gives me AM sweets). After a long day of classes and a nerve-wrecking exchange of e-mails (concerning next year's housing and sorority bills, the time difference is so not helpful when it comes to important things like this) I surprisingly made it to dinner. We had a big bowl of Soup de Carrottes spiced with cumin to start. Followed by a salad of mixed vegetables and a hard-boiled egg. This was all mixed with a little bit of mayo... one of those things that no matter how bad it is for you, and how gross I know it actually is, I can't seem to get myself to be disgusted by it. It's yummy! We each had a serving of pasta with a creme fraîche sauce, mushrooms, and shrimp (a fabulous combination) as our main dish. Then a slice of Brioche (apparently I have a lot of bread fans :) so enjoy the picture!) and our choice of cheese from a platter. We had the option of goat cheese or cantel that night. The Parmesan was for our pasta.And for dessert, a cup of blackberry applesauce. I wish I could tell you that my night ended soon after with a tisane (herbal tea) and a book but, no. I still had places to go! I'm in a Modern French Drama class and much to my annoyance we had a sortie.

Of course, the 20 minute walk to the theatre and back, along with the wonderful production we saw, État de Marche (State of Walking, to be interpreted as physically, and emotionally,) ended up leaving me feeling a lot better. The spectacle was incredibly original. I really enjoyed it and was glad to have taken the break.

The next morning, however, I had the hardest time getting up! I guess staying up late writing a paper does that to you, huh? Nonetheless, I was out the door by 7:30 to go to my internship... not before a quick and tasty breakfast though :).

I went on a great walk with my friend Liz that afternoon, and whether it had been inspired by the play the night before or my need to vent, it was probably one of the best things I did all week. I have this habit of letting things bottle up inside me for way too long until I seem to just break down. Note to self: Best friends are the perfect medicine!

So was the incredible dinner that I ate later on. Oh my gosh, sooo good! I had a small cup of leftover soup and an shrimp-filled avocado to start. Next, a salad with the remaining mixed veggies over shredded Romaine lettuce. I will not come up short my veggie intake.

And, drumroll please, ENDIVES! Gosh, I really never knew what I'd been missing! They're so popular in French cuisine and last night my host-mom cooked it in a creamy mustard sauce. I had two and could've gone back for more if everything hadn't been so fabulously filling.

With eyes on that pear for dessert I also ended up skipping the usual bread and cheese fare. Worry not, no cheese was wasted... I had it with brekkie this morning :).

Eaten with toasts, a kiwi, a yogurt, and green tea, I was very pleased with the cheesy selection. Oh and yes, there are more cookies and chocolate on my plate too, but, once again, I ate those after lunch. (Hm, a sweet yet odd habit. Anyone have a clue?)

Then I met up with my Modern French Drama class (for the fourth time this week, ha) at the Théâtre National de Strasbourg. We didn't go to see a performance this time but rather to get a behind-the-scenes tour of everything that makes up the establishment. I loved it! I haven't been backstage since my high school days of acting, I guess I kind of miss it.

It went way longer than expected though so by the time I only had one thing on my mind, eating :). I threw together a salad as fast as I could: romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, corn, sliced almonds and a piece of pain complet. It was huge and took such a long time to eat - a great quality in a meal I think ;).

But now I've got to buckle down (yet again!?!) to work on my final paper of the week. This one is based on what I learned over the traveling seminar and research on European and American immigration that I've done on my own. I really do find the topic fascinating but I'm nearly burnt out. As long as I can hold out for a little bit longer though, I'll be fine, and then I can enjoy my much-needed weekend. Hope you all had a great week... Thank God it's Friday! Be back soon :).

**If you missed the Karnival recap... check it out! Danke!